How She Felt
by BornAsTheSeventhMonthDies
Summary: A short one-shot about Annabeth's feelings...until Seaweed Brain entered her life.


She didn't know what to do. She loved him. She'd loved him since she first saw him. Or so her head told her. If she'd listened to her heart, of course, she would have thought differently.

She had seen him last night. At the campfire. As they'd been moving away from it, back to their individual cabins, he had come up to her and said, "Good night!" He had flashed his brilliant smile at her and gone to the Hermes cabin.

Anyone reading her mind wouldn't have known why it was such a big deal to her. He did the same thing every single night. But to her, it was different. He was who he was to her. Even when she'd been swinging the hammer at him when she was seven, as soon as he'd grabbed her she felt safe. And she wanted to feel like that all the time, so she tried to be as close to him as she could.

Today was no different. Across the dining hall, she had watched him as she ate, hoping he would glance over to her table. He did. He grinned at her.

She smiled back, and then ducked her head over her food.

At the swordfighting arena, she had practiced on the dummies, waiting for him to lead his classes here. When he came in, he smiled at her and waved again. She waved, and lopped the head off a dummy. While she caught her breath, she glanced back at him. But he was talking to one of his siblings, demonstrating a move.

Later in the day, walking to archery, she passed him. He smiled and came up to her. "Hey," he said. "Hi," she said, hoping her face wasn't as red as it felt.

"Nice work in the arena today," he said.

"Thanks," she squeaked. She hoped he'd say something else, to give her a chance at not seeming so stupid, but he looked over her shoulder. He nodded at whoever it was, and looked back at her.

"Well, bye," he said. "See you at the camp fire!"

She nodded. And gulped. The he ran away, to whoever it was.

At dinner that night it had rained outside the camp borders. Of course, no rain came into the camp, but Chiron looked up nervously. So did Mr. D. She didn't know why. She _hated_ not knowing.

Across the campfire, that night, she saw _him_. She smiled and waved. He did too. She felt her face redden again, and hoped no one would notice.

After the camp fire, he came up to her again. "Good night!" he said. He smiled at her, before following his cabin mates back to their cabin.

She started walking toward her cabin. Chiron and Mr. D were talking in low voices together, as everyone filed out.

Halfway to he cabin, she realized she'd left her knife at the campfire.

The one he'd given her.

She turned and ran back, almost panicking. She couldn't lose the knife, not after so long with it. All the memories she had of him.

At the camp fire, Chiron still stood. Alone. Thinking.

She saw her knife, still resting where she'd left it. Then – a huge bolt of lightning struck the ground. A flash where it had struck. Just outside the camp borders.

She looked at where it had struck. What had it hit? Her mind went into calculations – it had struck the road, right next to Half-Blood Hill.

Chiron looked around. Then she heard a roar. And a scream.

He took off running. Then he saw her. "Come, girl!" he shouted.

She followed him, sprinting, though she didn't know why. Chiron ran to the top of Half-Blood Hill, and stood for a second. Shocked.

She ran after him. When she came to the top…

She saw a monster. A bull. No, a bull-man. The Minotaur. Pasiphae's son.

And a boy, holding it's broken-off horn in his hands, ramming the makeshift blade through the monster's chest.

The Minotaur roared in rage. And dissolved into dust. The boy ran to a third figure on the ground. He hauled the figure – a satyr, judging by it's hairy goat legs – towards them. Not seeing them. Chiron whispered, "You may enter," as the two passed Camp borders. As he passed them, the boy stumbled toward the Big House. She and Chiron followed the two.

The boy dropped the satyr in the half-light of the Big House porch. He fell into the light. He rolled over, staring up at the fan.

She ran over. Chiron stood next to him. She bent and felt his heart. Then she remembered the prophecy about her.

"He's the one. He must be," she said, staring at Chiron.

"Silence, Annabeth," Chiron said to her. "He's still conscious. Bring him inside."


End file.
